Box or package and material therefor.



No. 722,423. PATENTED MAR. 10,1903. J. H. GREENSTREET.

BOX 0R PACKAGE AND MATERIAL THEREFOR.

APPLIOATION rum) MAR. 21, 1898.

no MODEL.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JASON H. GREENSTREET, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

BOX OR PACKAGE AND MATERIAL THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,423, dated March 10, 1903. Application filed March 21, 1898. Serial No. 674,599. {No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LJAsoN H. GREENSTREET, a citizen of the United States, residing in Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Boxes or Packages and Materials Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a construction of box material for wire-bound boxes made of thin or veneer stock and. to the construction of the boxes themselves, and has for its object the production of a box of this kind which is not only better than those heretofore mad e, but is also cheaper to make.

The nature of the invention is fully disclosed in the description which I give below and in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a sheet of combined metal and wood from which the sides and top and bottom of the box may be made, the same embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the same on line II, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the box made according to my invention. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the end part of the box detached. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of one of the boxcorners, on alarger scale, on line V, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified construction of the box material, also embodying the invention,in which a sheet of thin wood or veneer is employed in placeof separate slats.

In said drawings, A represents the slats of which the combined wood and metal sheets may be chiefly composed. They are formed of wood and are thin and may be and preferably are cut into the proper size from veneer stock. They are united together to form a long or continuous sheet or fabric, which may be cut into lengths,each adapted to form the sides, top, and bottom of the boxes by means of exterior continuous Wires B, laid transversely; of the slats A and secured to each of them by staples C, the ends of which are bent down or clenched. As thus far described the fabricis not new; but I have found in practice that the Wires B are apt to kink up or buckle between the staples and injure the looks of the fabric, as well as change its longitudinal dimensions. To remedy this,I have been led to combine with the fabric a stay or expansion strip E of wood, which is laid transversely of the slats and parallel with the wires and stapled to the slats'by the wiresecuring staples C. This stay or expansionstrip holds the slats at the relative positions they occupy when they are first secured to the wires and keeps the wires extended or drawn out to their full length, thus avoiding the kinking or buckling referred to. The stay may either be a strip applied mainly or solely for this purpose, or the function may bedevolved upon outside cleats secured to the wires and slats in the described manner. The stays may be inside the box, as shown, the fabric being bent in the direction to effect such arrangement. The stays are shown as located along those wires which are nearest the ends of the slats. The stays when thus applied within the box are preferably of light stuff and may be even thinner than the slats themselves. with large veneers F, as shown in Fig. 6, having similar wires B stapled thereto at intervals by staples C. In this case the stays E may be either inside or outside and are applied in line with the wires, and they serve in this form of the invention to prevent any buckling of the wires being caused by the shrinking of the veneer. Such shrinking would tend unless thus restrained to move the staples closer together and to bend the wires between the staples. By means of these stays the full length of the fabric is maintained after it is made up into the box, and the box does not lose its original dimensions nor become unsightly.

The closure of the box may be effected in any desirable way or at any desirable point; but I prefer to use the way illustrated. In

.Fig. 3 the line of division between the ends I also use the stays of the fabric forming the top, sides, and bot- 5 tom of the box is at or near one of the upper corners, and the fabric is cut long enough so that one or more of the slats A and A at each end of the fabric may lap by each other and be positioned one above the other and be properly nailed to the box ends in that position. To permit this lapping, the stays may be omitted or cut off from the lapping slats. I prefer that there be two lapping slats at each end, as that renders theft of the contents of the box more difficult. I sometimes locate the dividing-line between the ends of the fabric at other points than the point shown in Fig. 3.

The ends of the box may be constructed in any of the ordinary ways; but I prefer to use in a large proportion of cases the following: G, G, G and G3 are pieces of lumber forming an exterior frame the size and shape desired for the end, the pieces G2 and G extending across the pieces G and G. Inside of this frame a filling H of veneer or a portion of the fabric above described sufficient in size to cover the opening in the frame may be positioned, and inside the veneer or fabric are pieces J, positioned 'so as to break the joints between the pieces of the outside frame i and suitably secured to said frame. A continuous inside frame like the outside one and positioned to break joints therewith may, however, be used instead of strips J, if preferred, as indicated by the broken lines in. Fig. 3. The veneer or fabric is clamped between the outside frame and the strips, (or the inside frame,) and in order to prevent, splitting of the veneer I prefer to nail it only at the center, as seen at H.

It will be noticed that the box can be sup plied in the knockdown condition. The top, bottom, and sides being in one piece, by reason'of the binding-wires and expansion-strips,

can be shipped in the fiat, and the sheet or fabric from which they are cut can be made} in continuous lengths limited only by the lengths of the wires and strips.

Wherever I have used the word veneer in my description or claims as applied to the thin material from which portions of the box or package are made it will be understood that I do not limit myself to what is strictly known as veneer stock,-as evidently any thin stun produced by sawing might be used instead of veneer. It will also be understood that I'do not Wish to be limited in my claims to what are strictly known as boxes, as the invention is capable of use in crates, barrels, and other packages not usually included in the term boxes.

At D, Fig. 5, is shown an exterior cleat, of which I may employ eight in the finished box, arranged,as shown across the ends of the slats and attached to the end parts of the box by nails and'also secured to the slats by fastenings (1, such as nails, independent of the nails which engage said end parts.

I claim-- 1. The combined wood and metal fabric or sheet for the construction of boxes and other packages, consisting of thin or veneer wood stock, wires laid across one side only of the stock. and stapled thereto at intervals, and stays or expansion-strips laid parallel to the wires and opposite to the same on the other face of the veneer stock, receiving the staples and serving to keep the wires distended, substantially as specified.

2. The fabric for the construction of boxes and other packages consisting of wooden slats, continuous wires laid across one surface only of the slats and secured thereto by stapling, and stays or expansion-strips for keeping the wires extended, said stays being directly opposite the wires at the other side of the slats and receiving the staples, substantially as specified.

3. The fabric for the construction of boxes and other packages, consisting of thin or veneer stock, continuous wires laid across the outside only of the stock at right angles to the grain thereof and secured thereto at intervals by staples,wooden stay-strips secured to the stock parallel to and directly opposite the wires on the other side of the stock, receiving the staples and serving to keep the wires from bending between 'thestaples,-and exterior cleats D, substantially as specified.

4. The box or package in which'the four sides are composed of a fabric or sheet consisting of wooden slats, continuous wires laid across one side only of the slats and secured thereto by staples, and stays or expansionstrips for keeping the wires extended, said stays being directly opposite the wiresat the other side of the slats and receiving the staples, substantially as specified.

5. The box or package consisting of the four sides and ends, the sides being composed of wooden slats, binding-wires laid across and stapled to the outside faces only of the slats, exterior cleats attached to the ends by nails and also secured to the slats by fastenings independent of said nails, and the stays directly opposite the wires on the other side of the slats and receiving the staples, substantially as specified.

6. The box or package wherein the sides are formed of slats and wires and extension-stays directly opposite the wires on the opposite side of the slats, the sides being attached to the ends by means of nails passed through cleats laid across-and attached to the slats by fastenings independent of said nails, the wires,slats and stays being united by throughstaples, substantially as specified;

7. The fabric for the construction of boxes and packages, consisting of thin or veneer stock, continuous wires laid across the stock and stapled thereto at intervals, and stiff stays or expansion-strips directly opposite the wires on the other side of the stock and receiving the staples, said stays acting to keep the wires extended and being divided at intervals, substantially as set forth.

8. The fabric for the construction of boxes and packages, consisting of thin or veneer stock, continuous wires laid across the stock ceiving the staples and divided at intervals upon one surface thereof, and secured therefor bending at the corners of the box, subto by staples at intervals, and stiff stays or stantially as specified.

expansion-strips secured to the stock at or JASON H. GREENS'IREET.

5 near the edges thereof for keeping the wires WVitnesses:

extended, said stays being directly opposite JOHN E. DAVY, the wires at the other side of the stock, re- 1 J. H. MOCONNELL. 

